Chapter Text
Adrien may have a problem. He realises this about a week after the akuma attack over a bowl of cereal the morning before school.
He’s thinking about Marinette again, so lost in his thoughts that when Nathalie enters the dining room he startles enough to launch his spoon into the air. Nathalie is nonplussed as usual, informing Adrien that he only has a few more minutes before he’s expected to be leaving for school and stepping back out of the room.
His heart is beating wildly as he cleans up the mess he made on the table, face beet red when he sits back in his chair. The room is silent, a stark contrast to how his mind has been all morning. “Plagg,” he whispers. “Is something wrong with me?”
He hears shuffling in his book bag, spotting Plagg’s black head poking out. “Well, I’m not too well-versed in human sickness, but I can certainly take a look.” He floats out of the bag and up to Adrien’s face, turning it either way with his tiny paws and getting a closer look into his eyes. He hums, a slight twinkle to his eyes. “Physically, you look fine. So, if we rule that out… tell me, are you still obsessing over that girl?” He can hear the smirk more than he sees it
Adrien sputters, but Plagg hit the nail on the head there. The kwami guffaws. “There’s your answer, then. You’ve got a case of the feelings,” he teases.
Adrien is ready to argue, but Nathalie returns as he should have expected and he has to drop the subject while Plagg hides. He picks up his book bag, following Nathalie out to the car and getting in, stuck in his thoughts again as the car gets moving.
Deep down he knows that Plagg is right, but hearing the words aloud makes it too real for him all of a sudden. He isn’t ready to move on from Ladybug, despite her and Plagg suggesting it would be in his best interest. It feels like betrayal to Ladybug, but more than that it also doesn’t feel fair to Marinette. He doesn’t want to view her as a ‘second choice’ and pursue her with that in mind. And, as he’s established with himself, she’s already interested in someone. All of these emotions are probably just a result of stress, anyway.
It still doesn’t make things any easier when he arrives at school and spots Marinette almost immediately. She’s with Alya as always and seems to notice his lingering stare, offering him a polite wave before turning back to her friend.
That’s the other thing that isn’t making this work; Marinette has been a lot more closed off since everything happened. With his insight as Chat Noir, he’s thinking that she still feels like Adrien is disappointed with her in some way, but there’s never really been an opportunity to explain that it isn’t the case. School isn’t the best environment to have that kind of talk and so far he’s been too nervous to call her after school, as if he isn’t allowed to do that.
Nino notices his mood as soon as he walks up to Adrien, raising his hand for a high five that he weakly returns. “You alright, dude? You look like you haven’t slept,” he comments.
Adrien gives a slight shrug of his shoulder. “A lot on my mind, actually.”
“About Marinette?” Nino asks, following his gaze towards the girls. “Y’know… Alya told me about what happened. I’ve just kinda been waiting for you to talk to me about it, but maybe I should’ve asked sooner.”
Adrien winces. He had no idea that Nino knew, but it’s totally logical that Alya would tell him about it. He must really be out of touch if he can’t put in the mental effort to realise as much. He takes a breath in and nods. “There’s not much time before class starts, but we can talk at lunch?”
Nino grins and places an assuring hand on his shoulder. “Sure.”
And so that’s what happens. Adrien gets through his first set of classes much too aware of Marinette sitting behind him and by the time lunch rolls around he’s whisked away by Nino for an interrogation.
He would usually go home for lunch, but Nino insists on some cafe food that they can talk over. In his head he wishes that they had gone to the Dupain-Cheng bakery when they both sit down at their table, but hones in on the thought before it can get too far. This cafe has meringue tarts and hot chocolate, he shouldn’t be so upset about that!
“So Alya told you about the attack?” Adrien asks. “All of it?”
“Yeah, pretty much.” Nino has already started on his food, chewing down a mouthful of a toasted sandwich before he continues. “Even told me that Chat Noir visited Marinette after it was all over. I don’t think anyone really knows your side of things, though. Sure, you weren’t really in mortal danger, but… how are you feeling, dude? Honestly?”
He knew this was coming but still expected to keep face at the question. Instead he slumps in his chair, sighing. “Look, I… I’m really glad Marinette is okay. I don’t have any real reason to be so stressed out when everything turned out fine, but… can I be real with you Nino? Like, really real?”
Nino nods, waiting silently for Adrien to continue.
“I haven’t been able to stop worrying about Marinette,” he admits, head falling into his hands. “Or just thinking about her in general. I’m worried it means I have a crush… Does it?"
Nino takes a pensive sip from the milkshake he ordered, leaving a milk moustache that takes the edge off of the seriousness of the conversation. He doesn’t think Nino has noticed. “Usually, yeah, but you don’t sound so sure. If Marinette ran in right now and asked you on a date, how would that make you feel?”
Adrien’s cheeks flush as he imagines the scenario. “Um… confused,” he answers simply.
“Because…?”
“Because… I don’t even know how I feel about her for sure yet? And I’m worried that this is just a fluke and I’m just projecting or something,” he rambles.
Nino raises a brow. “Projecting?” He finally notices the milkstache and wipes it away with the back of his hand. “You got another crush you haven’t told me about?”
He didn’t mean it like that! He waves his hand, hoping to push the topic away with it. “No, Nino! I meant more like… I’m acting like this because I’m paranoid that something will happen again? Like if I let her out of my sight I’ll wake up and it was all a dream, and she didn’t make it in the end…”
Nino leans back in his seat, frowning as he tries to figure it out. “Makes it sound like you’re just being protective if that’s how it is.”
“And that’s what I was thinking, but it’s hard!” Adrien sighs. “Because then I think, what if it does end up being a crush?”
Nino bites at his lip, hesitant to the point that Adrien feels like he’s said something wrong. “Would that be so bad?” he eventually asks.
“I mean… yeah?” Adrien answers with more uncertainty than he initially had. “I was under the impression that Marinette liked someone already.”
“Well…” Nino looks like he’s battling some serious inner conflict and Adrien perks with interest. Does Nino know something about who Marinette likes?
“You know something,” Adrien states more than asks. How could Nino not know? He’s dating Alya !
“I do,” Nino admits, tipping the front of his cap in front of his face. “But I’m under an oath. I can’t tell you anything, dude. If you really wanna know… Alya’s been saying that she’s had to cancel plans with Marinette this weekend, maybe you can ask her out?” He flinches. “Uh, in a friendly way, you know! Hanging out!”
That’s probably one of the last things that Adrien wants to do while he feels like this, but he knows that he won’t be getting anything else out of Nino, no matter how much he pushes. He just nods in the end, pushing the pasta he ordered around with his fork.
He glances up and recalls Nino mentioning Chat Noir. That might cheer him up. “You said Chat Noir visited Marinette? And Alya was there? How did that go?” he asks, quirking a brow.
Nino snickers. “Apparently he was hiding out in Marinette’s bed. Kinda weird, but he’s a weird dude. Sweet, though.” Adrien smiles, buzzing from the praise. “Definitely the kinda superhero that would go and check on someone. Surprised Ladybug didn’t, though.”
That is a little strange. Adrien’s face scrunches. “Well, she did save Marinette. Maybe she didn’t feel the need to?”
Nino rolls a shoulder. “No idea, but I guess that makes sense.”
It doesn’t settle the way he would like it to at all. He’s distinctly aware of the feeling that he’s making up excuses for Ladybug, but what other reason would there be to avoid Marinette? He knows Ladybug is kind and caring, perhaps even more than Adrien himself is. He makes a mental note to ask her the next time he sees her, but he’s nervous that he won’t get an answer that calms him.
He feels bad, getting caught up in his thoughts again when Nino is sitting right there. He can tell his friend is keeping quiet for Adrien’s sake, letting him have his moment rather than interrupting it by keeping busy with his meal.
“Nino… thank you,” Adrien says, watching Nino’s expression falter into confusion. “And sorry.”
“Uh, why?”
“Because you’re being patient with me, even though I keep ignoring you,” he explains. “I must have been acting like this all week, right? I feel bad, making you worry when the reason I’m so strung up is a little trivial.”
Nino blinks, stunned by what Adrien has said. “You’re like, the last person I’d expect an apology from for having a lot on your mind. Like you said, you’ve been in this funk all week, but I know that if it was Alya who had a run in like that? I’d be stressed out of my mind, too. I’m just glad you’re talking to me about it.”
“Still,” Adrien mumbles, tipping his head in remorse. “I should have talked to you sooner. This has actually helped me to clear things up a little, although I don’t think I can ask Marinette to hang out. She’s been pretty closed off towards me since what happened.”
Nino takes a long breath in, releasing it in one puff. “Okay, I’m pretty sure I can tell you this… She’s worried about you, too.”
“She is?” He tries to temper the surprise in his voice.
An affirmative nod follows Adrien’s question. “Yep, super worried. You gotta remember, you’ve been like this all week and I talk to Alya and Marinette a little more regularly than you do. So, when she heard that you haven’t talked to me about anything… let’s just say she won’t say no if you decide that you wanna catch up.”
There’s a swelling feeling in his chest and he wants to berate himself for ever doubting Marinette. He must be grinning, because Nino starts to snicker quietly, shaking his head.
“Now that I know what you’re thinking about, it’s speaking volumes,” he says. “If you’re not super hungry then I’d be fine finishing off your leftovers if you wanna go talk to Marinette.”
It’s embarrassing to be put on the spot like that, but at the same time Nino is absolutely right. Adrien has barely touched his pasta and at this point he isn’t too keen on finishing it. With a curt nod he stands, picking up his bag and fixing Nino with a grateful smile. “You’re the best.”
Nino looks away bashfully, fidgeting with his cap. “Yeah yeah, I know. You should get out there before classes start again.”
He doesn’t need any more prompting to take his leave from the cafe, full of intention as he pulls out his phone and opens up Marinette’s contact to message her, something he had been too nervous to do days prior.